Police in Mumbai arrested two people after stopping them late at night in Andheri East and finding 21.460 kilograms of marijuana with an estimated value of 535,000 rupees. The MIDC Police started a case using the right parts of the NDPS Act of 1985, and two people who live in Goregaon East were arrested early that morning.
Seizure and arrests in Andheri East
PSI Anandrao Kashid and the officers working with him noticed two men with backpacks and a black bag near Bastiwala Compound on Mahakali Caves Road. The police thought the men were acting suspiciously and stopped them to ask them questions.
When they searched the bags with witnesses present, they found 21.460 kilograms of marijuana including the leaves, flowers and buds of the plant. The two men were identified as Ranit Hemanto Aas, 23, and Arijit Tapas Aas, t 26, both from Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon East.
Charges under the NDPS Act and legal procedure
At 2:56 AM, the MIDC Police officially recorded the crime (FIR) and charged the two men with violations of sections 8(c), 20(b)(2), and 29 of the NDPS Act of 1985. The crime probably happened around 12:30 AM, and the arrests were made at approximately 3:23 AM.
The police say that questioning showed the two men were involved in the crime, and they were arrested following the rules set by the Supreme Court. After a doctor checked them, the two were put in jail and will be taken to court soon for a decision about how long they should be held.
Investigation team and ongoing probes
PSI Kashid led the operation, with assistance from Officers Bade, Jadhav, Lokhande, Avghade, Shingane and Shinde. DCP (Zone t 10) Datta Nalawade, ACP (Andheri Division) Gajanan Pawar, Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Wani and PI Kale are in charge of the case.
The police are going to continue to investigate the men’s past crimes and if they are connected to bigger drug suppliers. They are trying to find out if this batch of drugs is part of routes between cities or is being sold in the local area.
Context: citywide anti-narcotics drive and related seizures
These arrests happened while the police were doing a coordinated effort against drugs throughout Mumbai. From April 1 to April 7 this resulted in ten FIRs and the seizure of drugs worth more than 101.4 million rupees. Several different police groups worked at the same time in many different suburbs.
One very significant find during this effort was 7.69 kilograms of hydroponic ganja (grown in water) worth 76.9 million rupees, which suggests people are buying higher-quality marijuana that is grown indoors. In total, the police took 20.7 kilograms of ganja and 902 grams of mephedrone (MD) along with other drugs.
Implications for policing and next steps
Those in charge of the operations say they were focusing on smaller groups of people selling drugs, instead of just one big group. However, they are still trying to find the main suppliers. The fact that the police searched in both nicer and poorer neighborhoods shows that the way drugs are supplied across the city is all connected.
Investigators will use information they receive to find those who help move the drugs and possible connections to suppliers in other states. These recent arrests show the ongoing work to reduce the amount of drugs being sold and to stop both the people selling on the street and those who provide the drugs at a higher level.
